Apparatus for distilling carbonaceous materials



Jan. 8, 1929.

F. PUENING APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS 4 Shets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 6. 1922 l f U ,//f

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F. PUENING APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS 'Filed Nov. es,y 1922 {sheets-sheet 2 F. PUENING APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING CARBONACEOU MATERIALS Fim Now 6, 1922 4 Sheatsheet 5 Jan. 8 19219.

F. PUENING APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING cARBoNAcEous MATERIALS Filed Nov. 6. 1922 4 sheets-sheet 4 AMM 4naterial by transfer thereto .1 .-wstored in the heat transfer s p f In carryingout the distillation there are Patented' Jan.4 8, 1929.

UNITED STATE-s PATENToFF nmz runtime, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

los.

APPARATUS non :DISTILLING cannoimcnousnarnamns.

Application led November 6, 1922;` Serial iVm-599,178.;

This invention relates carbonaceous material, such as bituminous coal, lignite, shale, peat, or other carbonaceous material which formscoke. An object of the invention is to provide an eili'cient furnace construction thatv permits the distillation `of such carbonaceous material at low tempera-l direct contact with asolid heat transfer'medium previously heated to a temperature great enough to effect the entire distillation. 'of the medium.

employed, as the medium for effecting the transfer of the distilling heat to the material to be distilled, heatingl walls of a substance of high enough heat conductivity to effect a rapid transfer of the disti-lling heat :to the material, for example, bituminous coal. According tothe presenty embodiment of the in- A vention, individual relatively movable refrac-l Itory heating walls. are employed. These heating walls are individually sus ended from a carrier, such as the continuous circular carrier disclosed'in my coending ap lication for Letters Patent of t executed October '31st, 1922, 177, ledNovember 6, 1922. The carrier is imparted an intermittent motion. to move the crcularseries of heating walls first through a,zone in which said wa'lls are subjectedtov the'heatingaction of charging4 station where between. the ,heating `walls are individually hot-gases, then |to a ceous mate zone in which the coking iseiec'tedland 'rall ly tvo-a discharging station where t retorting. spaces besuch intervals of rest alternating 'with the in?.

tervalsof movement.v The enti ref operation is Acontrolled automatically` so thatthe'heating to the art of distillingv plication iorLetters` iled'Febru'ary This principlel of low temperature distillation involves the f bringing of the material to' be distilled into j facilit heating'walls from. between which the of part of the heat c United tates` for distillation. 0f carbonaceousmaterials, Serial No.. 599,--A

` purposes of exempliiication, a preferred and thejinv'ention may be 4 the retorting spaces f rialto be coked, then throu h af ing lWalls-and e finished- .-fplane The charging and dis-'j conductedduring the upA period', changix'ig (period, cokingl periodfj andy discharging perro ularly in4 a continuous cycle. The; invention is embodied, forconvenience of! de.- scription,in allow temperature distillation;ap' paratus'o'f thetype above briefly described" and present. o

ollow each other reginvolves the employment of individual heat# ing walls relatively movably supported on the carrier 1n such manner that, durin the' discharging or pushing operation, eacl pair of oppositely facing heating walls may be spread apart to increase the lateral distance between them, so that the pushing is-eifected with eat and sticking of the coked material to the si es of such walls is avoided. The

present invention comprises thebroadly novel feature of movingapart onlythose.

coke is being pushedsothatit is not necessar .to take care of the accumulative spacinge fj occur if all the walls were feet that would ished l spread .apart simultaneously. Consequently, j

the heating ,wallsmay be unlimited in number and, because of the facility'in ushing, practically unlimited in size. Whi e herein disclosed in conjunction with a traveling series of yiwalls, .the ,invention-'inf this res ect is not so limited but may obviously be a .'p 'ed to a constructioninvolving a series o walls.. ywhich dok not travel, combined with traveling charging and discharging devices.`

'In addition to operation and results as ma be found to ob. tain in .the apparatus herelnaftergdescribed or claimed.V

manner in. which the general objects recited: I: above, the invention has for further objects such `other improvements and advantages in n embodied and practiced', but without limiting V j the claimed invention:

v is a vertical-'sectional elevation, taken 'in a plane parallel through `the heating zone. or chamber; f j Figure 2is a' vertical section taken -in a charging or pusher station. a

pushertaken on the line B,.-'B` of Fig-2. Figure .4'is a. vertical section' taken trans-j` to such illustrative in` .stance or instances: l "-1- "Figure 1 and successively-charged vWitht`he carbona with` one of the heatf similar `to Fig, 1, but through the.- dis,- 21 Figure 3 is a horizontal section througlithel ,VelSely through the heating walls on the lineA u' i in such position atthepusher station. The y -V heating wall construction by .which thepush- .0f .4 "coke, such as is'available for domestic heat- Figure 5 is a composite plan and horizontal l sectional view of the heating walls.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the drive for the carrier which supports the heatin walls. A i

n its resentembodiment, the invention plied) to the low temperature distillation ituminous coal, for producing'coherent g purposes. For convenience, the ensuing description will be connedto this application of the invention.v The-novel features and improvements of the invention are, however, applicable to thedistillation'of other tlie'cokingv zone and t e heating zone, 4the retortinglspaces between the heating walls at C a continuous cylindrical `carbonaceous material, for exam le, to any materials `lier-cina ove ymentioned; hence, the scope of the invention is not confined to the specific use and s cific embodiment hereinl described as'ait' il ustra- ,tive examplei) L y Referring to the drawings: There is shown chamber having surrounding vertical walls D which-may be constructed of any suitable refractor rial. The chamber C is constituted o aheating zone H (see Figl) and of a coking zone.

the pusher station,

-' ing wallsin either direction through the up- G'. Provision er and lower` heat ducts G,

I. is made whereby the hot gasesin the heatin evolved'distil ate is preventedfrom'- passing' tion'means is ful tion 'at the pusher zone are prevented from assing` into an comminglin with the distillates', evolved from the car onaceousmaterial'in -the retorts of the4 cokin zone, and .also whereby the into the heatin zone. This waste preveny-disclosed in my c'o-pending application hereinabove mentioned.' I

The pushing operation, which effects torting spaces, is accomplished as the retorting spaces are successively moved into posi-f station and during the in-v terval of rest of. each retorting space when `v ing operation is greatlyfaciIitated constisarily,

tutes one of 'the principal features of the present invention. The heating walls 1 are constituted of elongated relatively thin verticalmembers preferably,'although not neces- -constructed of tile or brick sections provided withholes for receiving the vertical hangerrods 2` Each heating wall-is promatethe latter 1s covered by e coking zone back into the heatl uit` ldischarge of the finished coke :from the re- Vtheir outer open en vided on its o posite side faces with a recess R extending rom top to bottomv of the wall and providing with the facing recess 4of an adjacent heatin I'wall a retorting space or coking chamber between each pair of adjacent heatin walls. The .vertical faces V at the ends o the opposite recesses R of each heating wall make contact with the corre. spondin vertical faces V of adjacent heating wals, as shown in Fig. 5, except those two ad'acent heating walls which are spread apart uringthe pushing ofthe coke from the retorting space S.

At-their upper ends, the vertical hanger rods 2 are flattened out along the major axis ofthe heating wall so as to lit into the bottom of the 'recess of the Vair cooled supporting beam structure 3. This structure is constituted of aninverted U-beam extending befxond the opposite ends of the corresponding eating wall and tothe opposite sides of which the several hanger rods2 ,are connected I The beam 3 provides a channely by pins 2. q throu h which cooling gases'orother cooling me ia may be circu ated to keep the supporting structure at the top of each heating wall from becoming too hot. Each beam 34 y 4 issurrounded by an insulating cover 6 and an outer metallic covering `5, this structure providing a secure anchorage for the wall supporting hangers 2.

The insulating from becomin becoming too filler 'prevents the cover 5 fastenings 8 are been applied and the hanger rods tightened ler of insulating material 9 may be rods 2 and nuts 8 from heat and also to provide a substantially flush bottom; t

The inverted U-beam 3. has Aits bottom closed by the bottom plate 3ll and its ends which extend beyond the opposite ends of the metalcover. closedy by the footings 21 and 22. U-tubesror pipes 10.and 16 respectively communicate with the o posite ends of the channel a iii-the beam tiirough the footings 21V and 22 to .which said tubes are connected. These tubes extend down through liquid seals provided by the troughs 11 an 12 and have s projected above the level of the liquid 'in the respective seals. Mounted above the projecting beams 3 of the series of heating wallsand secured to a 'down into the 1i uid seal 11 at the outside of thel free `ends o the several U-tubes 10, as

ing ring 27 ispan inside annularv apron 14 miv too cooland the beam 3 from A ot. The -bottom course of tile of each heating wall is provided with a groove 9* to receive a bar washer 7 before the nut, i screwed. onto the lower ends vof the hanger rods 2. After the nuts have ilol iis

shown more `particularly in Figs. 1` and 2. Also secured tothe outer edge of the support# l ion y up, a im: p astered into 'the groove' 9 to protect the I j into the liquid seal 12 of the several exhaustl tubes 16and the point ,20: where-said tubes are connected to the respecwhich dips 'down into the liquid-seal 11 along.

the inside of thefree ends of the U-tubes 10..,bevel'driving gears 42. The outer bevel driv This construction rovides a Vpocket or closedlllinggears 41 mesh with outer bevel gears 43 chamber into whic cooling air or other oooling gas may bey circulated either by being umped or drawn through the inlet pipe 15. nasmuch as the air in 'said pocket has no other Ieans of escape, it must enter theopen ends of the U-tubes 10 which communicate Withithe interior of the `pocket and be delivered by said tubes to the cooling channels a of the heating wall supporting beams 3.

Secured to the inner superstructure of the furnace and above the inner ends of the' pro- !5 jecting U-beams 3 is an annular ring or supporting plate 28, to the inner edge of which 1s secured an annular a ron 25 that dips down lietween the open ends tive `footings -22, so that the open ends of the tubes are exposed to the atmosphere. Consequently, the cooling gases forced into the4 channels a from the tubes 10 are free to ex- 4`25- haust into the atmosphere from the open endsof the exhausttubes 16, with the result that-y continuous circulation, withoutv leakage, of cooling media is effected through the cooling channels a of each of the heating wall sup- 30. ports, regardlessof the factthat the heating walls and their supports have entirely indeendent mountings and are movable relativej y to each other. Outer and inner annular aprons 29 and 30 dip down lnto the respective liquid sealsll and 12 and prevent the escape of hot gases or vapors to the atmosphere.

'I'he'ltroughs 11 and 12 constituting .the4 outer vand inner liquid seals are made ,upl of structural shapes forming horizontal annular girders to` Whichthe outer and inner driven ring gears 17 and 18 are secured. These gears constitute part of the driving mechanism whereby the progressive motion is 1marted to the circular series of heating Walls.

n order to transmit such motion to the Walls, circular rails 19 and 20 are supported within the revolving troughs l1 andl12 and are` securely attached thereto so as to partake of heating wall supports an through said footings the heating' walls. are progressively moved in unisonwith the troughs 11and12.

cant between the iootin-gs g21'jand,v 22'and the 1 driving rails 19 'and 20, permitting the Afootings to slide over the rails when a` pair of adjacent heating walls are s read apart durin thepushing operation. hetroughs 11 'an 12 are supported on the' stationaryrollers 23 which are mounted in4 the bearings 24 on ledges near the tops of the :outer-andy; inner surrounding refractory Walls. e5

nate retorts.

The liquid in'said troughs serves as a lubrilbetween said walls to effect the pushing. In

The main drive shaft 4() isfprovidedlwith outer bevel driving gears 41 and with inner at the upper ends of the outer vertical driving shafts 44, and the inner bevel gears 42 mesh with inner'bevel gears 45 atthe tops of the inner vertical driving shafts 46. Secured to the lowerends of the pairs of vertical driving shafts 44 and 46 are spur gears 47. and 48 which mesh respectively with the outer andl inner horizontal ring gears 17 and 18. With this construction a four point drive is provided for the series of heating walls and alter- `-In accordance with the invention the .spreading apart ofthe two adjacent heating Walls of a pair which is in position at the pusher station is accomplished 'just prior to the operation of pushing out the coke, but by means controlled and operated by the pusher machine, so that the spacing of the heating walls 1 and the pushinv of the coke'may be 'l v considered as substantie ly a single operation. Inasmuch as the heating walls are individually supported on the rails 19a-nd 20, the walls of the pair at the pusher station are free' to move or spread apart relatively to each other. The heating walls of the entire series are so arranged that the vertical faces V of all of the Walls except the pair at the pusher station are in tight contact with each other, sufficient clearance being allowed to permit the two Walls at the pusher station to spread apart during the pushing operation. This clearance is successively acquired by each pair ot adjacent heating Walls as it comes into position at Athe pusher station. As shown, the I ,A metall covers 5 of the heatingwalls supports are providedvwith vertical grooves 32 on their opposite vertical faces andgat their opposite ends beyond the ends of the heating Walls.- The companion grooves of adjacent heating walls register with each other, asshown in Fig. 5, for-ming short vertical channels for the entry of the spreaders which arel attached to and form part of the pusher mechanism. The pusher slidesv in a casing 33 mounted on the furnace superstructure above a pair `of [adjacent heating Walls in positionv for pushltheir motion. These rails 19 and 20 respectively support the footin s 2 1 and 22 ofthe ing. The pusher is constituted of a centralramV plate 34 and project below the bottom edge of the ram plate so that they will enter the channels formed bythe grooves 32 and spread the opposite heating walls apart bel32 one edge of each s reader ma .be inclined or beveled downwar ly` into 'a b unt point as Y shown at 36. When the k pusher descends, 180 p' loo? vme'

ll5 'vertical ram plate34 and s ide spreaders 3'5 f l secured to the opposite vertical edgesvof the-"1 ram plate 34. The side spreaders 35,;are i made laterally. somewhat thicherithanl the.;

pair ready A tively movable with respect to"ea`cli other;l

, heating walls spectively providedwith having connections atone 'gnay be facilitatedby a' rotary j discharger normal -carbonized flow ofpthrou ment of said carrier, and havin g tions at the other end leading to t ez ritmosduring the operationof" the machineby I nech'-` :mism such asgis `disclosed in myJ saldi copendingup lication, the adjacent walls of a by the .spreaders 35 to. loosen any adherent coke and lthenl the ram, .passing downw-ardlvsai walls;d pushes the coke into a discharge 38., Alfter thepusher has reachedfitselevated vl position, t the pair of heating" walls which. have just been pushed will be left' in 1 ftheirs paced lor spreod'apurt position@ This heating wall which arrives in posit-ionforbel ingv pushed. i

' The gases evolved from the materialbeing space; owever, will be taken upbyfthenext h The invention as hereinagove set forth may be Vvariously embodied within the scope-of thel claimshereinafter made.v l`rI claim:Y

t ,1. Apparatus for-distilling carbonaceous ,materials embodying: a rotary carrier; a

lu'- rality of heating wall supports mounte on said carrierl formovement therebyand rela` respectively suspended from said supports; the wall supports being .I e-

during the move-l hrough a sealed gas space, g

connecphere for permitting exhaust of Athe 4cooling media circulated through said channels;

and a vertically movable pusher embod ing side spreaders and an intermediateram'p ate,

the side-spreaders extending below thefbot tom of said ram platefanden ng the heatngwall supports in advance o ,the entry of the ram plate between adjacentheatng walls,-

to sprea said walls apart on thecarrierduring vthe pushing operation; substantiallyYasl specified. v t.; t 2.- Apparatus for distilling carbonaceousi "{culated through said channels; substantially plurality of heating wall supports mounted thereby and"l relatively movable with respect toeach other;

materials embodying-t a movable carrier; a

on said carrier for movement -ment of said carrier, and having connections at the other end leading to the atmosphere for permitting exhaust of the ,cooling mediay circulated through'said channels; and* avertically- .movable pusher embodying side: i

' channels; substantially 'as specified.' l

spreaders andan intermediate ram plate,

' the side spreaders. extending below `the bot# or pushing are first spread'apart 4 cooling channels' -end which' sweep;

of thev plate between adjacent heating walls--tospread'said Walls apart on the carrierduring the pushing operation; substantially `as' specified;

3. Apparatus for distilligng carbonaceous `mat`eriala embodying :Ya rotarycarrier; a

4 yadjacent heating` walls, to spread said walls apart on-the carrier during the pushing voper-` l ationysubstantiallyas specifiedi' j 4'.' Apparatusv for distilling 4carbonaceou's matena1sembody1ng: 'a movable carrier; a

plurality lof heating wall supports mounted on sald carrier for movement thereby and rel-v atively movable with res ect to each other;

heating walls respective yl suspended from said supports; anda vertically movable push er embodying side spreaders and an intermediate ram, plate', the side spreaders extending below the bottom of said ram plate and engaging the heating'wall sup orts in advance of the entry of the ram p ate between adjacent heating walls, 'tospread said walls' apart on the carrier during lthe pushing t operation substantiall as specified.

" 5. Apparatus for dlstilling earbonaceous materialsembodyingsta rotary carrier;a lu- .vitality of heating'wall supports mounte on said carrier for movement 'thereby and relative'lymovable with res ect'to each other; heating walls respective y suspended from rsaid supports; the wall. supports being re` spectively' provided with cooling channels having connections at one'end which sweep throughiasealed gas space, during the movement of said earner,'andhavingconnections at the other end leading to the vatmosphere for rmitting exhaust ofthe cooling media ciras specified. t l -V 4 y fltApparatus for distilling carbonaceous materials embodying: al movablefcarrier; a plurality of heating wall sup rts 'mounted 1 on said carrier for movement t ereby and rel- ,atively suspended from'said supports; the-l 'wall sup rtsbein respectively provided of the ,cooling edia eircu ated through said 7 Apparatus' for' distilling carbonaceous materi ls embodying :a rotary carrier; a pluraliy of relatively lmovable heating walls during themovement of said carrier,

i suspended from said carrier; and a vertically vmovable pusher embodying side spreaders and an intermediate ram plate, the side spreaders extending below the bottom of said ram plate and engaging the heating walls in advance of the entry ofthe ram plate bet-Ween adjacent heating walls, to spread said walls ation; substantially as specified.

apart o n the carrier during the pushing operation; substantially as'speciied.

8. Apparatus for distilling carbonaceous materials embodying: a movable carrier; a plurality of relatively movable heating walls suspended from said carrier; and a vertically movable pusher embodying side spreadersv and an intermediate' ram plate, the side spreaders extending below the bottom of said ram plate and engaging the heating walls in advance of the entry of the ram plate between adjacent heating walls, to spread said walls' apart on the carrier during the pushing oper- 9. Apparatus for distilling carbonaceous materials embodying: a rotary carrier; a plurality of relatively movable heating walls suspended from said carrier; and a vertically movable pusher embodying spreader means and ramming means, the spreader means eX- tending below the bottom of said ramming means and engaging thev heating walls in advance of the entry of the ramming means between adjacent heating walls, to spread s aid walls apart on the carrier during the pushing operation; substantially as specified.

10. Apparatus for distilling carbonaceous materials embodying: a movable carrier; va plurality of relatively movable heating walls suspended from said carrier; and a vertically movable pusher embodying spreader means.

and ramming means, the spreader means extending below -the bottom of said ramming means and engaging'the heating walls in ad-` vance of the entryof the rammlng means between adjacent heating walls, to spread said wallsapart on the carrier during the pushing operation; substantially as specified.v

11. Apparatus for distilling carbonaceous materials embodying: a plurality of relative, ly movable heating walls; and a pusher mechanism embodying a spreader and a rammer,

the spreader engaging the'heating walls in advance of the entry of the rammer between adjacent heating walls, Ato spread said walls apart for the pushing operation; substan# j speci vertical walls arranged side by side and adapted to provide coking spaces between each two contiguous walls of the series, the length of the series being substantially constant from'one end to the other thereof, and each of said contiguous walls being movable to and from each other to vary the width of the coking space therebetween; means for spreading apart pairs of contiguous walls of said series; and a rammer'operable subsequently to the spreading operation for pushing out residue from between contiguous walls; substantially as specied.

14. In apparatus for coking material in a plurality of ynarrow chambers, vin combination: a series of heating walls arranged side by side and forming chambers between them; means for heating the walls forming the chambers; a charging station for filling the chambers with material tovbe coked; a discharging station comprising means for subl sequently increasing the space'between some" of the walls to elect discharge of nished coke; and gas collecting means" between' said charging station and said discharging station for collecting gases from the chambers between said heating walls; said chambers being movable in a cyclic path through said means for heating, for filling, through said gas collecting means, and past said discharging station; substantially as specified.y I

' 15. In ap aratus for coking material in a plurality o narrow chambers, in combination: a series by side and forming chambers between them;

means for heating the walls forming the` chambers; chambers y charging stationcomprising means lfor sub-A a charging station for filling the sequently increasing the space between the walls to effect discharge of `finished coke; and `gas collecting means between said chargstation and said discharging station for collecting gases from the chambers between said heating walls; said chambers being movable in a cyclic paththrough said means for heating, past said charging station for-lilling, through said of heating walls arranged sidev with material to be coked; a dis-- past said charging station i gas collecting means, and

past said discharging station; substantially as'specied.' i Y.

16. ApparatusA for cokin material, em-

bodying: a series of walls orming a series e of narrow chambers, heating means and aV f charging station or'alternately heating the "walls formin 'chambers witl with a discharging station comprising means the chambers and Iilling the material to be coked, combined for increasing the space between the walls of someiof the chambers to effect disehargeof the finished coke, said chambers being movable in a cyclic path through the heating imeans, past the charging station and past said discharging station; substantially as specified.

insA

17. Apparatus for coking material, em

bodying: a series of walls forming au series or lao narrow chambers, heating means and a Y charging station for alternately heating the .18. In apparatus for cokingvmaterial in `a plurality of narrow chambers formed by heating walls, in combination, means for heating; illing and emptying said chambers consecutively, means for increasing the space between some of the walls justprevious to the emptying operation, and means for thereafter restoring theV walls of the emptied chamber 'to their original spacing; substantially as specified.

19. In apparatus for coking material in a plurality of narrow chambers formed by heatin walls in combination, means for heating, `fil ing and emptying said chambers consecutively, means for increasing the space between a pair of the walls just previous to the space between each emptying operation, and means for thereafter restoring the walls of the em tied chamber to their original spacing; su stantially as specified.

20. In apparatus for coking material in spaces Vbetween -narrowly spaced heating walls, in combination: a series of walls arranged side by side and forming a retorting two contiguous walls of the series; means for heating the walls formco'mprising means for pushing coke from between contiguous .spaced walls; gas collectving means between said means for heating and l said discharging station for 'collecting gases from the retorting spaces between said walls;

saidwalls being movable in a cyclic pathw throuvh said means for heating, through said gas cdzllecting means and past said discharging station; means for keeping the space distancesy between said contiguous walls at constant distances in said apparatus except at said discharging station; means adapted for increasing the space distances between contiguous walls of the series in advance of pushing the coked material therefrom; and

means for thereafter restoring the space distances to said constant distances.

21. In apparatus forfcoking. material in `spaces, betweenA narrowly spaced heating `walls, 1n. combination 'a series oi walls arranged side by side and forming a retorting Q0 space between each two contiguous walls of the series; means for heating the walls forming retorting spaces; a discharging .station for pushinfr coke from between contiguous lspaced walls; gas collecting means between said means for heating and said discharging station for collecting gases from 'the retorting spaces between said walls; said walls being movable in a cyclic path-through said means for heating, through said gas collect- 7.0

ing means and past said dischar ing station; means for keepingl theV space istances be-f tween said contiguous wallsu at constant distances in said apparatus except at said dischar ing station; means adapted for increasying t e space distances between a pair of contiguous walls of the series 1n advance of push- -ing the coked material therefrom; and means for thereafter restoring the space distances n lto said constantdistances.v ingretorting spaces; av discharging station FRANZ PUENING. 

